A free veterinary field hospital has opened at Grandview Arena in Thunder Bay, Ontario, to help pets belonging to wildfire evacuees. The not-for-profit group Vets Around the Corner set up the service on July 21, 2026, and it will run until at least Friday, July 25, with a possible extension. Evacuees with pet emergencies can call 807-358-5417.
The field hospital offers physical exams, minor treatments, vaccinations, and parasite prevention. It can also provide limited hospitalization with oxygen and IV fluids but cannot perform surgeries. The service is meant only for urgent cases, and evacuees are asked to take routine pet care to their regular veterinarians.
More than 2,400 evacuees are staying in host communities across Ontario due to wildfires, and many have left pets behind or placed them with foster families. Local vets in Thunder Bay are already over capacity, so the field hospital is helping to ease the pressure on the community.
William Woodstock, CEO of Vets Around the Corner, said the organization does not receive government funding and relies entirely on donations. The group has a GoFundMe and also accepts e-transfers at [email protected]. The team also uses a retrofitted ambulance to reach pets in evacuated areas like Armstrong, sedating them and bringing them to safety.
The Ontario SPCA is working with Airbnb to find pet-friendly temporary housing, while the Thunder Bay-based Northern Reach Network is coordinating foster homes and supplies for the influx of pets.
